TUCSON, Ariz. — Azuolas Tubelis took his family and friends from Lithuania to breakfast in the morning, then to see the desert surrounding Tucson.
After a 40-minute nap, the Arizona big man arrived at McKale Center and started roasting Ducks.
kAm}@E 2 325 H2J E@ D9@H @77 7@C 9:D >@E96C 2?5 D:DE6C]k^Am
kAm%F36=:D D4@C65 c_ A@:?ED[ >@DE 3J 2? pC:K@?2 A=2J6C :? ag J62CD[ 2?5 E96 7:7E9\C2?<65 (:=542ED 2G6?865 2? 62C=:6C =@DD E@ ~C68@? H:E9 2 h`\fe C@FE %9FCD52J ?:89E]k^Am
kAm“$96 5:5?’E D66 >6 =:<6 32D:42==J E96 7:CDE EH@ J62CD[ D@ :E H2D AC6EEJ 4@@=[” %F36=:D D2:5 @7 9:D >@E96C] “w6C 7C:6?5D 2C6 DFAA@CE:?8 96C6[ E@@] %96J 2== 7=6H 96C6 @? |@?52J] xE’D C62==J 4@@=] x E9:?< D96’D AC@F5 @7 >6]”k^Am
kAm%96 sF4<D W`b\`_[ f\d !24\`aX >2?92?5=65 pC:K@?2 gf\eg 2E 9@>6 =2DE >@?E9 :? pC:K@?2VD 3:886DE =@DD F?56C 4@249 %@>>J {=@J5]k^Am
kAm%96 (:=542ED Wa_\b[ `_\bX C6EFC?65 E96 72G@C H:E9 2 5@>:?2?E A6C7@C>2?46[ C:5:?8 2? 62C=J a`\a CF? E@ 2 `d\A@:?E 92=7E:>6 =625] pC:K@?2 <6AE :ED 7@@E @? E96 82D 7C@> E96C6[ D9@@E:?8 dcT 2?5 5:D9:?8 @FE ab 2DD:DED @? b` 7:6=5 8@2=D]k^Am
kAm%F36=:D H2D E96 42E2=JDE]k^Am
kAm{:>:E65 E@ `c A@:?ED :? E96 7:CDE >66E:?8[ E96 e\7@@E\`` {:E9F2?:2? @G6CA@H6C65 2?5 @FEC2? E96 sF4<D :? EC2?D:E:@?[ 9:EE:?8 `e @7 a` D9@ED] xE H2D E96 >@DE A@:?ED 3J 2? pC:K@?2 A=2J6C D:?46 s2>@? $E@F52>:C6 925 c_ 282:?DE (2D9:?8E@? $E2E6 :? `hhd]k^Am
kAm%F36=:D 5:5?VE D4@C6 :? E96 7:?2= f `^a >:?FE6D 2?5 76== @?6 A@:?E D9J @7 E96 |4z2=6 r6?E6C C64@C5 D6E :? `hfe 3J p= u=6>:?8[ H9@ H2D 9@?@C65 A@DE9F>@FD=J 2E 92=7E:>6]k^Am
kAm“(92E 96 5:5 E@52J[ x 5@?’E 6G6? <?@H 9@H E@ AFE :E :?E@ H@C5D[” pC:K@?2 A@:?E 8F2C5 z6CC zC::D2 D2:5] “x’G6 ?6G6C H:E?6DD65 2?JE9:?8 =:<6 E9:D]”k^Am
kAm~C68@? H@? E96 7:CDE >66E:?8 3J D9@@E:?8 dbT 7C@> E96 7=@@C 2?5 @FE>FD4=:?8 E96 (:=542ED :? E96 A2:?E]k^Am
kAm%9:D E:>6[ pC:K@?2 8C@F?565 E96 sF4<D 62C=J H:E9 DE:7=:?8 5676?D6 2?5 4C:DA @776?D6[ FD:?8 2 a`\a CF? E@ 3F:=5 2? 62C=J `c\A@:?E =625]k^Am
kAm~C68@? EC:65 E@ 86E 324< :? :E[ 3FE %F36=:D D66>65 E@ 92G6 2? 2?DH6C 6249 E:>6]k^Am
kAm(:E9 }Vu2=J s2?E6 @? E96 36?49 :? 7@F= EC@F3=6[ E96 2E9=6E:4 3:8 >2? 3F==65 9:D H2J E9C@F89 ~C68@?VD =2?<:6C 7C@?E4@FCE A=2J6CD 7@C 2 EC:@ @7 E9C66\A@:?E A=2JD]k^Am
kAm%F36=:D 925 af A@:?ED @? `_\@7\`c D9@@E:?8 :? E96 7:CDE 92=7[ AFEE:?8 pC:K@?2 FA d_\bd @? 2 3C62<2H2J 5F?< H:E9 af D64@?5D =67E E92E D6?E C@2CD 649@:?8 @77 E96 |4z2=6 r6?E6C 46:=:?8]k^Am
kAm“(6 5:5?’E E2<6 2H2J DEC6?8E9D[” ~C68@? 4@249 s2?2 p=E>2? D2:5] “(6 =6E 9:> 86E E@ E92E =67E 92?5[ C:89E D9@F=56C E:>6 2?5 E:>6 282:?[ 2?5 96VD 8@:?8 E@ D4@C6] w6VD E2=6?E65 E92E H2J]”k^Am
kAm~C68@? 282:? EC:65 E@ >2<6 2 CF? DE2CE:?8 E96 D64@?5 92=7[ 3FE %F36=:D EFC?65 324< E96 sF4<D @?46 >@C6] w6 9:E 2 ;F>A6C[ D4@C65 @? 2 C6G6CD6 =2JFA 2?5 362E ~C68@?VD 3:8 >6? 5@H? E96 7=@@C 7@C 2 5F?<] zC::D2 9:E EH@ b\A@:?E6CD 2?5 r65C:4 w6?56CD@? yC] 25565 2?@E96C E@ AFE pC:K@?2 FA eh\d`]k^Am
kAm(:== #:492C5D@? 925 a_ A@:?ED E@ =625 E96 sF4<D[ H9@ C2==:65 =2E6 E@ AF== H:E9:? `_ :? E96 4=@D:?8 >:?FE6D]k^Am
kAm“(6 82G6 FA 2 =@E @7 62DJ 32D<6ED 2?5 %F36=:D C62==J 8@E 8@:?8[ H6?E E@ 9:D DEC6?8E9D[ 2?5 H6 4@F=5?VE D=@H 9:> 5@H?[” p=E>2? D2:5]k^Am
kAmqxv !xr%&#tk^Am
kAm~C68@?i %96 sF4<DV 5@>:?2?46 @7 pC:K@?2 42>6 E@ 2 4C2D9:?8 6?5] ~C68@? 925 H@? 6:89E @7 ?:?6 :? E96 D6C:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 E9C66 @7 7@FC :? %F4D@?[ 3FE E@@< 2? 62C=J 3@5J 3=@H 2?5 925 ?@ 2?DH6C 7@C %F36=:D 2== ?:89E]k^Am
kAmpC:K@?2i %96 =@DD 2E ~C68@? @? y2?] `c D66>65 E@ DA2C< E96 (:=542ED] pC:K@?2 92D H@? D:I DEC2:89E D:?46 2?5 :D 324< E@ A=2J:?8 E96 EJA6 @7 32D<6E32== E92E =65 E@ 62C=J\D62D@? u:?2= u@FC AC@;64E:@?D]k^Am
kAmz#xx$p’$ x|!pr%k^Am
kAmzC::D2 DECF88=65 E@ 86E D9@ED E@ 72== 62C=J :? E96 82>6 367@C6 9:EE:?8 7@FC b\A@:?E6CD :? E96 D64@?5 92=7]k^Am
kAmw6 C2? pC:K@?2VD @776?D6 67764E:G6=J 2== ?:89E[ >2<:?8 8@@5 564:D:@?D 2?5 <66A:?8 :E 7=@H:?8 282:?DE ~C68@?VD AC6DDFC6 5676?D6]k^Am
kAm“w6 5:5 2 C62==J 8@@5 ;@3 4@?EC@==:?8 E96 82>6 2?5 :? >2?28:?8 E96:C 5676?D6D[Q {=@J5 D2:5] “p =@E @7 8@@5 564:D:@?D]”k^Am
kAmzC::D2 7:?:D965 H:E9 `b A@:?ED @? c\@7\h D9@@E:?8 7C@> b H:E9 D6G6? 2DD:DED 2?5 EH@ EFC?@G6CD]k^Am
kAm&! }t)%k^Am
kAm~C68@? A=2JD 2E pC:K@?2 $E2E6 @? $2EFC52J]k^Am
kAmpC:K@?2 9@DED ~C68@? $E2E6 @? $2EFC52J]k^Am
